Independent support clips

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a ceiling hanger or support clip for suspending fixtures and similar devices below a false or subceiling, independently of the latter, which includes a gridlike framework supporting ceiling panel members. The clip includes a pair of complementary cooperating members which when assembled encompasses the beam of the framework, one end thereof being attached to a supporting means extending from the ceiling and the other end receiving the fixture.

United States Patent Inventor William J. Cumber Char-don, Ohio 2,725

Jan. 14, 1970 Aug. 17, 1971 Erico Products Inc. Cleveland, Ohio Appl. NoFiled Patented Assignee INDEPENDENT SUPPORT CLIPS 3 Claims, 6 DrawingFigs.

US. Cl 248/317, 52/484, 248/300 Int. Cl E04b 5/52 Field of Search 248/3I 7, 323, 327, 343, 342, 62, 58, 300; 52/484, 489, 485,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,132,999 3/1915 Beers..287/l89.35 UX 3,463,432 8/1969 Ptak 52/489 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,177,3119/1964 Germany 52/484 Primary Examiner-J. Franklin Foss Attorney-AdrianMedert Pmmmwemsn 3,599,921

INVENTOR. WILLIAM J. CUMBER 4m Medwf ATTORNEY This invention relates toa ceiling hanger or support clip and more particularly to amultipartclip adapted to encompass the supporting beam of a false orsubceiling and. be supported independently thereof for suspendingfixtures and similar devices belowthe false ceiling.

In providing a false or acoustical subceiling, beams which may takeseveral different forms in cross section are first assembled in spacedrelation to form a lightweight gridlike framework suspended in anysuitable mannerfrom the-struc tural members comprising the ceiling.Panel membershaving peripheral lips-are simply placed into the frameworkandlare held thereon with the lips of the panelmembers resting'upon thebeamsof the gridlike framework. H'eretofore,.it has been the practice-tosupportfixturesandithe-like below such a false. or subceiling directlyfrom the beams by means of asuitable clip attachedtothe beam. Where thebeamswereof substantial rigidity and strength and capable ofsupportingisuchfix tures, prior art devices have proved satisfactory,however, there has been a tendency to use beams which arenotisubstantialenough to support both the ceiling panels and fixtures,

with the result that building; codes in some. areas forbidithe.supporting of fixtures on'the framework supporting he'ceiling panelmembers.

In such cases it has been necessary to support lightingfixtures andother devices directly from the structural members.

of the ceiling. Such practice necessitated the providing of holes oropenings through the subceilingpanel-members and the dropping ofsupporting, members such. as wires,cables, rods and the liketherethrough to which lighting fixtures and other devices were secured.below the subceiling. This priorpractice was undesirable for the reasonthat once' openings were provided through the panels, they couldnot beusedxinterchangeably with other panels. Furthermore, to remove a panelit was necessary to first remove the lighting-fixture-and withdraw thesupporting member,.all of which added to the cost of installing andmaintaining the false. or. suspended cellmg.

It was therefore highly desirable that means of supporting electricalfixtures and. other devices from the structural members of the ceilingbe providedwhich would be independentof the supporting framework of thefalse ceiling'and preferably could be used at the joint between adjacentpanel members at the point where the panel members are resting on thebeams and thus avoid mutilation of the panel members by passingsupporting members therethrough.

Accordingly, it is among the objects of the present invention to providea simple and efficient means for supporting fixtures and similar devicesbelow a falseceiling; independently of said false ceiling, whichovercomes the drawbacks of prior practices and is exceedingly simple andinexpensive to manufacture and may be readily assembled or mounted.

Another object of the present invention .is to provide a sup portingclip for suspending devices below the lower surfaces of the panelmembers of an acoustical ceiling which does not interfere with theassembly or removal of ceiling panel members from the supporting gridwork upon which they are disposed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ceiling hangercomprising a plurality of cooperating members arranged to encircle thesupporting beam of a false. ceiling and be supported independentlythereof for suspending devices. below the false ceiling.

Another object of the invention is to provide a supporting clip which isparticularly adapted for suspending light fixtures and the like below afalse or subceiling comprising a gridlike framework of inverted T'shapedsupporting beams having panel members resting on the flanges of suchbeams which eliminates the work and time involved in providing openingsin the panel members to receive supporting members for such fixtures.

These and other objects and advantageous features of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the follow- 2. ingdetailedudescription of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein corresponding.reference characters throughout denote corresponding parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling hanger or support clipconstructed in accordance with this invention and illustrated inassociation with a beam of inverted T-shaped cross section for effectingsuspension of ceiling panels,

' FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the support clip prior to its assemblywith the beam-member,

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view illustrating the first step in theassembly of the support clip of FIG. 1 with a beam member,

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating-the second stepin-assembling the support clip with a beam member,

FIGVS is a side elevational'view showing the support clip in assembledrelation-about a supporting beam; and

FIG; 6-is a plan view of a blank from which the support clip of FIG. 2is formed.

The support clip of the present invention is equally well adapted foruse in new construction as well as remodeling where the'installation ofsuspended or false ceilings is most commonplace. One of the methods usedwidely in installing suspended or' false ceilings comprises firstsuspending a series of inverted T-shaped supporting beams from anoverhead supportingstructure in parallelspaced arrangement by means ofsuitable rods or cables. Ceiling panels are then supported between-thetransverse or horizontal portions of the T-shaped supporting beams. Theceiling panels commonly used are formed several different materials suchas plastic, steel, fiberboard-and the like. Accordingly, it is desirableto suspend devices such as electrical fixtures, partition members,transverse rods, display members and the like below suchsuspendedceilings without interfering with the panel members comprisingthe ceiling.

, Withreference tothe accompanying drawing and particularly FIGS; 1 and2', there is illustrated a ceiling hanger or support clip which providesmeans for independently suspending or supporting devices below themounting beams of a ceiling panel construction, made in accordance withthe teachings of this invention and generally indicated by the numeral10. The ceiling hanger is formed of a suitable resilient sheet materialsuch as spring steel strip. As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, and 5 the hanger10 is adapted to be assembled with an elongated acoustical beam 11 ofinverted T-shaped cross section consisting of a vertical or central web12 and cross flange 13 extending laterally along the length of thebottom margin of the central web. The cross flange extends laterallyequal distances so as to provide on each side of the web a ledge adaptedto support'subceiling panel members 14 as shown in FIG. 1, it being headarea of the subceiling. The upper free edge of the web 12 of the T-barllis reversely bent to form a tubular head 15 to whichsuitable'hangerrods (not shown) may be attached for supporting the subceilingcomprising the T-bars and panel units.

The ceiling hanger, or clip 10 formed of spring steel includes'a pairofcooperating members 18 and 19 which, in the manufacture thereof as shownin FIG. 2 are attached together by a fracture joint 17 and when.separated and assembled, define an opening therebetween for receivingthe inverted T- bar or beam 11. The complimentary configuration of thememberslB and 19 is such that the opening therebetween receives theparticular cross section of the beam 1 1 used in the formation of thesubceiling. In the illustrated embodiment employing T-bars the member 18includes an elongated body portion 20 having a deep rectangular offsetportion 21 extending crosswise thereof. The lower end'of the bodyportion is bent at right angles to form the leg 22-which extends adistance slightly greater than one-half the width of the cross basemember 23 extending parallel to the cross flange 13 and terminatesbeyond the edge thereof. The leg 22 and the base member 23 form a pocket24 of sufficient width that one side of the cross flange 13 may befreely inserted therein to the extent that in assembly. the walls of thepocket are independent of the flange 13. Adjacent to the free end of thebase 23 there is provided a slot 25 forming a strap 26 which is offsetupwardly out ofthe plane of the base 23. At the upper end ofthe bodyportion 20 there is provided a punched-out tab 27 and an opening 29.

The member 19 of the ceiling hanger includes an elongated body portion28 having a deep rectangular offset portion 29a extending crosswisethereof complementary to the offset portion 21 of the member 18. Thelower end of the body portion 28 is formed with an outwardly extendingleg 30 terminating in a tongue 31 of reduced width and offset downwardlyout of the plane of the leg member 30. Above the offset portion 29a thebody portion 28 is provided with a locking slot 32 and an opening 290which latter is adapted to be aligned with the opening 29 of the member18 when the two parts of the hanger are assembled about the T-bar 11.

The base 23 of member 18 is provided with an opening 33 therethrough forreceiving the shank portion 34 of a suitable stud 35. The area 33asurrounding the opening 33 is depressed to receive the head portion 36of the stud so that the upper surface thereof is in the plane of thesurface of the base 23. Any suitable fixture may be supported on thestud 35 and secured thereto by a nut 37 as shown in FIG. 1. Inassembling the fixture on the stud 35 a suitable cover plate (not shown)may be used to conceal the portions of the hanger exposed below thelower surface of the cross flange of the T-bar 11.

In assembling the ceiling hanger 10 with the T-bar 11 the portions 18and 19 are first separated at the fracture joint 17 and the pocket 24formed by the leg 22 and base 23 of the member 18 is slipped over oneleg of the cross flange l3 and the lower part of the body portion 29 isdisposed adjacent one surface of the web 12. At this point the base 23may be in engagement with the lower surface of the cross flange 13 asillustrated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. The offset tongue 30 of the member19 is inserted below the strip 26 of the base 23. The lower part of thebody portion 28 is then moved adjacent to the opposite side surface ofthe web 14 and the leg 30 is positioned adjacent the upper surface ofthe cross flange 33. The locking slot 32 engages over the tab 27 whichis then depressed and locked into place. When the members 18 and 19 arethus assembled, the respective openings 28a and 29 are in alignment toreceive one end of a suitable supporting wire 38, the other end beingsecured to the structural members of the ceiling. ln supporting the clip10 bearing a suspended device with respect to the beam 11 the supportingmember 38 is therefor adjusted to provide free movement between theadjacent portions of the clip 10 and beam 11. Although the foregoingdescription has been specially directed to the use of applicant'ssupport clip with an inverted T-shaped beam member it is to beunderstood that beams of various cross-sectional shapes may be used inconjunction with a clip embodying applicant's invention.

It will be understood that the above description is by way ofillustration and in accordance with the provisions of the Patent Law,variations and further modifications of the specific structure disclosedtherein may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

lclaim:

l. A ceiling hanger for supporting fixtures below and independently ofthe structural members of a false or suspended ceiling constructioncomprising opposed cooperating members so formed and arranged as todefine an opening .therebetween for the passage of a structural membertherethrough, one of said members having an elongated body portion witha reversely bent transverse base flange formed on one end thereofdefining an open pocket, said second member having a body portioncomplemental to the body portion of said first member and terminating ina transverse flange extending substantially parallel with said baseflange and means engaging said flange members for securing themtogether.

2. A ceiling hanger according to claim 1 wherein means are provided, insaid flange defining a pocket, for receiving a stud member to whichfixtures may be attached.

3. A ceiling hanger for supporting fixtures independently of thestructural members of a false or suspended ceiling constructioncomprising opposed cooperating members so constructed and arranged as todefine an opening therebetween for the passage of a structural membertherethrough, one of said members including a base portion, a bodyportion at one end of the base portion having an offset remote from thebase portion, said base portion being reversely bent to form atransverse pocket, said other member having a base portion extendingparallel to the said reversely bent and a body portion with an offsetcomplemental to the offset on the body portion of the first member, andmeans for securing the base members together.

1. A ceiling hanger for supporting fixtures below and independently ofthe structural members of a false or suspended ceiling constructioncomprising opposed cooperating members so formed and arranged as todefine an opening therebetween for the passage of a structural membertherethrough, one of said members having an elongated body portion witha reversely bent transverse base flange formed on one end thereofdefining an open pocket, said second member having a body portioncomplemental to the body portion of said first member and terminating ina transverse flange extending substantially parallel with said baseflange and means engaging said flange members for securing themtogether.
 2. A ceiling hanger according to claim 1 wherein means areprovided, in said flange defining a pocket, for receiving a stud memberto which fixtures may be attached.
 3. A ceiling hanger for supportingfixtures independently of the structural members of a false or suspendedceiling construction comprising opposed cooperating members soconstructed and arranged as to define an opening therebetween for thepassage of a structural member therethrough, one of said membersincluding a base portion, a body portion at one end of the base portionhaving an offset remote from the base portion, said base portion beingreversely bent to form a transverse pocket, said other member having abase portion extending parallel to the said reversely bent and a bodyportion with an offset complemental to the offset on the body portion ofthe first member, and means for securing the base members together.